VIEW: 18-18: At Long Last Approved

VIEW FROM HERE
By Bob McDowell (Born Neil Carson) Number 18-18
AT LONG LAST APPROVED Week of 2018/04/30
It seems to me like almost forever since my own Congressman, Jim Bridenstine OK-1,
was nominated by then President Elect Trump to be the Administrator of NASA
(National Air and Space Administration), although it has been 18 months or so. We are
told that a few of the Senators, required by the Constitution to approve of such
nominations, have held up this, and many other, nominations and for personal or partisan
purposes. Such attitudes are definitely not in order for the 'good of the Nation' as their
oath of office states that they will act for!
Finally, on Thursday, April 19, 2018, the Senate held a vote which turned out to
be 50 to 49, with one Democrat not voting because she is 'out for pregnancy'. I'm happy
for her to welcome the addition to her family but even more so that it caused her absence
for the vote. Had she been there, the vote would have been a tie and Vice-President
Pence was out of town on National business and unavailable to assume his position as
President of the Senate to cast a tie-breaking vote. Fortunately, Senator Marco Rubio,
R-FL, finally 'grew up' and ended his opposition based mainly on personal issues. We
are told these issues centered around Jim's support for Senator Ted Cruse, R-TX for
President. Sen. Rubio should have been man enough to realize that Texas is adjoining
Oklahoma on the South and is so much closer than Florida in politics and geography.
In all of this, there has been continuing and loud criticism by the Democrat side of
the Senate, and others, of the slow movement of the Administration on making
appointments. Well, as of 10:35 Friday, April 20 there were 139 still waiting on approval
in the Senate and there were only 102, or 43%, of the nominations so far approved. That
is the lowest percentage approval at this stage in national history. The numbers include
judges for various Federal Courts. This delay is highly unethical and seems to me to be
deliberate stalling to defeat the agenda of PRESDT-45 on the part of the minority caucus
in the Senate - Democrat. Frankly just another example of the usual tactics of those of the
C/S followers, that is accusing your opponents of doing exactly what you are doing!!
Actually, the might have been hurting their own future position in the House. My
house informant stated that whoever is elected to fill the seat Bridenstine is early vacating
will immediately be sworn in, since the seat is vacant, and not wait until January when the
rest of the newly elected 'freshmen' take office. Thus he will have a superior seniority
position to the rest of the class and be in a stronger position to represent our First District
and the State.
Had the approval come before the end of 2017 we would have elected a
replacement in a special election and already be represented, with even more seniority in
the 'class of 2018. As it is, we in the First District will not be represented in any vote for
six months until after the November election. However, both the Tulsa and Washington
office staffs will remain and be available to assist and advise constituents, as they have a
few times for me.
We wish the Congressman, now Director, well and as I told him when he first
announced for Congress: "I shall expect outstanding things from you". Well he far
exceeded my wildest hopes and it is with complete confidence that the expectation is the
same in his new duties. Frankly, it had been my forlorn hope, given the facts of the make
up of Congress, that he would become Speaker of the House or maybe go to the Senate,
should Senator Inhofe decide to retire.
Word has come to me that he may have to resign his commission as Lt. Colonel in
the OK National Guard and thus lose flying status there. No word on whether he will be
able to maintain flight proficiency in the new position, although I would expect it because
the astronauts did. Otherwise it would be expected that 'cloud fit' would show up, as
with me.
END
Composed April 10, 2018
Robert W. McDowell, Jr. © 2018 841 Lynwood Lane
918-451-1051 Broken Arrow OK
74011-8608
Email: abdmcfpi@localnet.com